Auction item idea: Potato cannon (& a case study in good marketing)

By Sherry · Monday, March 30th, 2009

Photographer Paul Haring of Alexandria, VA did a great job of capturing Mamie showcasing the potato cannon.

UPDATE ON DECEMBER 20, 2009: I found the name of the cannon. It was called “The Brotherhood.”

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“One of a kind” auction items will always perform well in an auction. A potato cannon … made by the school’s beloved maintenance department … in an all-boys Catholic school … is a perfect example of that.

This photo makes me giggle! Mamie, a bubbly, petite, outgoing team member of the Red Apple Auctions floor crew, is showcasing this enormous cannon in a Rambo-esque style. Special thanks to photographer Paul Haring who caught the shot and was willing to share it with me.

I’m off to the right, selling the cannon. It sold for $1000 .. twice.

Once the auction chair saw how well it was selling, she confirmed that the maintenance team would be willing to build another one so the school could double it’s revenue on that item.

Not only is this a fun idea, but the marketing behind it was outstanding. Let me share with you some more photos and a bit more about what they did right …

First, this cannon was displayed in the maintenance department for two weeks prior to the auction.

Every boy in the school had made a trip there at least once to check it out. The maintenance guys even named the cannon and painted the name on the side. (I’m forgetting the name, but I think it was Gladiator, Tormentor, or something like that.)

Second — prior to the auction — a “test” was conducted by the maintenance crew to ensure their workmanship was free of flaws.

They launched a potato over the gymnasium, beyond the lacross field, and into the baseball diamond. What a great marketing idea to stir up the talk around the school!

Third, in the maintenance department and at the auction, the cannon was marketed with a bag of ammunition and an instruction manual, written in English and Spanish.

This was sold as a complete “batteries included” item. The ramrod, owner’s manual, sack of ammo (potatoes) was all there.

Great job on all counts!

The instruction manual was written in English and Spanish.	Clearly the maintenance crew had fun writing this manual.
In the live auction area of the silent auction, the cannon was displayed with its bag of ammo (potatoes) and the manual.	Â